I’m trying to choose between these two colleges and would appreciate any and all advice I can get (both of which guarantee me a research position).
I’m interested in medical related research (perhaps neuroscience, public health, or biology).
So far this is what I have come up with.
Pros Smith:
-small classes and closer relationships with professors
-no grad students in the labs
-closely bonded community
-women’s college
-Northhampton
Cons Smith:
-less research opportunities
-no additional benefits to STRIDE other than the merit aid and research (see regents to contrast below)
-no hospitals within reasonable walking distance
Pros UCSD:
-huge amount of research opportunities available (including the chance to do research at the med school)
-opportunities to volunteer at nearby hospitals
-regents get priority registration (guarantee the classes I want)
-perfect weather
Cons UCSD
-need to drive/take a bus to get to San Diego
-huge classes (especially intro science)
-quarter system (not sure if this is a pro or a con)
-grad students in labs (less opportunities for undergrads?)
-dorms, not houses
-community doesn’t seem as tightly bonded
Thoughts?
I don’t know anything about Smith, so I can only speak for UCSD.
Re: grad students in labs
I never had a problem getting a research position in a lab, and I had several friends who worked in labs as well. There is the benefit of having many labs at UCSD, but also in having the Salk Institute and the Scripps Institute right across the street. There are also many bio companies in the area (I knew several students who interned in these labs as well). Getting a research position early will already give you a leg up because you’ll have lab experience already when you apply for other positions. I wouldn’t worry about competing with grad students because you really won’t be. In fact, grad students can be really helpful to have in terms of learning techniques and trouble shooting experiments because they may be more accessible than PIs.
Also, don’t underestimate having the ability to volunteer in med centers during the school year. That will be huge when you need to apply to med schools. There are also a lot of resources for premeds at UCSD because there are so many of them here, including lots of opportunites for leadership and volunteering with the premed clubs.
Huge classes can be intimidating but there are lots of ways to get to know professors better (office hours, asking questions, dine with a prof where you can get lunch with a professor for free, doing research with a prof, TAing as an undergrad). You can also get more help in office hours and discussion sections. For many of the intro math and science classes, there’s also OASIS, which is a tutoring service through the school though spots are limited. Some subjects have help rooms (like calc) where grad students are there throughout the day to give help. There are freshmen and senior seminars that have capped enrollments and allow for a smaller class size and more discussions. Upper division classes can also get smaller, although popular classes tend to be larger.
I don’t know what housing at Smith is like, but dorms aren’t that bad and after your first year you’ll likely move out of them. Most second years live in on campus apartments (with living rooms and full kitchens) and then move off campus. Although with regents, you have guaranteed on campus housing for four years.
Don’t know what you mean about needing to drive/take a bus to UCSD. Do you mean to move in? That’s pretty typical. It’s only once/twice a year.
I also liked the quarter system, but it’s not for everyone.
Thank you for all the information (especially about the large classes since that was one of my biggest concerns)!! 
Regarding driving/taking a bus to San Diego, I was referring to access to the city on weekends and such (because UCSD is in La Jolla) and comparing that with Smith having Northampton right next door,
Ah, that makes more sense. I’ve never been to Northampton, but it sounds like a very different city than San Diego. I would consider that more than how long it would take to get there.
I was also wondering, how is the pre-med support system at UCSD?
Pretty solid. There are a ton of pre-med students on campus, so you’ll find numerous pre-med professional and social student organizations, as well as pre-med academic and career advising services. Everyone’s here to help everyone else.
baktrax said it better than I could, though: those research and volunteering opportunities are huge.